For two years, Jean Liu and Travis Kalanick were mortal adversaries, as their businesses, the world’s two largest ride-sharing companies, fought an increasingly bitter and expensive war. Kalanick, CEO of Uber, the San Francisco-based ride-hailing app, was trying to muscle into China, where Liu is president of Didi Chuxing, Uber’s Chinese equivalent.
The hard-fought contest saw their respective companies spend in excess of $1bn a year in a battle to lock in market share and bankrupt each other. It also pitted the man who, for many, represents the macho culture of Silicon Valley against a woman who, at first glance, appears to typify the “gentle”, soft-spoken persona of the Chinese feminine ideal.
Liu laughs when asked about the dynamic. Kalanick “is an aggressive businessman but a good player,” she says. The one detail that stands out, she says, is his taste for red sneakers. “Travis impressed me with his consistent taste . . . every time I saw him he wore the same pair of red sneakers,” she laughs. “He has a consistent taste in shoes so I guess that means he is a guy who is consistent and persistent — and focused.”